h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: How to Make Green Goo - A11912627
Author: Matt - U168592

Something I make at work a fair bit Thought it could do with an Entry

I've got a better recipe for goo, but it involved sodium tetraborate and I'm not sure how available that is commercially.

B

sodium tetrawotsit?

I wanted to write the Entry so it was accessible for both older people and children That's why I left the Science bit pretty simple.

Short but sweet, well done Matt

It's a shame, because you can make some crackingly good goo with sodium tetraborate and PVA glue.

B

'It's a shame, because you can make some crackingly good goo with sodium tetraborate and PVA glue'.

Well (di)-sodium tetraborate is commonly known as borax, and is used as a laundry softener; so should be found in hardware stores and in the laundry aisle of supermarkets. It won't be labelled as 'borax' or di-sodium tetraborate though; you'd need to check out the labels.

I colour my 'goo' with fluorescein

http://homeparents.about.com/cs/householdtips/a/borax.htm

Ah, ain't science wonderful! But this goo is the kind that it don't matter too much if the kiddies eat/drink it. I'll add that in to the Entry

I think the PVA/borate glue is pretty safe, too, as long as it's washed. The effect is to make ruddy huge molecules that can be palpitated and would just pass through your digestive system unchecked.

B

That would be 'goo', not 'glue'.

B

'I think the PVA/borate glue is pretty safe, too'

Well, borax can be a dermatological irritant.

And you have to think of parents;

"We're making something using cornflour and water, is it alright if little Johnny joins in?"

"Yeah, no problem!"

OR

"We're making something using borax and PVA, is it alright if little Johnny joins in?"

"uh, not sure. What's borax?"

Simple and safe is my motto. Just like me really...

Oh, alright then. Should I write an 'adult' version?

B

I'd say go for it, because I wanted to do this simple goo - which I use all the time at work, as it's a bit of a hit with the little 'uns. But goo is different too slime, and Big Al's flourescent one sounds fantastic!

I'd love to be able to make those for kids at work, but the safety aspect is a huge part (especially when nursing children with certain disorders like eczema - that's why we don't use the borax recipe).

Plus you gotta get the classic Ghostbusters quote into an Entry -

He Slimed Me!

Isn't there a proper name for the effect that changes it from a liquid to a solid? I've tried rummaging in my memory but I can't find it. On Brainiac Science Abuse (which appears to be a programme dedicated to blowing stuff up, and having scantily clad girls appear at the drop of a hat) they got Jon Tickle to prove he could walk on water - or at least walk on custard. They filled a swimming pool with custard and he did indeed walk across it thanks to the same effet - much hilarity followed when he stood still for a while, sank, and couldn't easily be extracted because the force of attempting to pull him out just turned the custard around his feet solid.

I often think they stretch the 'Science' bit of the title (usually preferring to go for gross bodily stuff or explosions) but hubby seems to like watching it which he assures me has nothing to do with the underdressed women...

Kelli - you're thinking of thixotropic liquids, which increase in viscosity under pressure. It's the classic 'hitting Marmite with a spoon' experiment.

B

I always thought that when you were rough with it, the water actually went inside the cornflower granules...

As a lass who adores braniac, I have to say that there are other attractions apart from scantily-clad females. Like Richard Hammond.

Just me then?

Lovely, lovely, lovely.

Goo is just great isn't it?

<> Must be some way of linking to A692813

<>

OK, no knowledge of this area of care, so I was left wondering why do special needs children have to rely so much on their sight? I read it as all special needs kids must be blind, which I'm sure is not how it is. Perhaps a brief explanation?

Hiya Matt,

Have I not said yet how much I like this entry? I like it a lot

My comment:

<>

Anyone with any sensory impairment usually develops the other senses to a higher level to compensate. One sign that a child is sensory impaired is when their sense of smell, for example, becomes acute. (Funny how you only found these things out *after* the fact ) Anyway...

Scenting toys and goo and the suchlike is in the way of providing an extra level of sensory input or stimulatin and is like exercise for the child. It is part of the therapy for children with learning difficulties as well where olfactory stimulus is added to reinforce a new experience. All a bit too much info for this lovely little entry, I would imagine so, my suggestion wuld have to be this:

*** To turn this into a multi-sensory experience, when making the goo you can add smidgens of scent such as lavender or other types of infused oils, or even a tiny amount of coffee or chocolate. In this way the children exercise several senses in experiencing the moment: touch, smell, taste and sight. This becomes especially significant when the goo is for a child with educational needs, sensory-impairment or just unwell and therefore a bit uninspired.***

Just a suggestion.

W

DDD - ah, a link I missed!!

Wilma - A marvellous suggestion! May I use that? You will receive an ADditional Research credit for that! (if you want it) I tried to say it like that, but my brain wasn't up to the task when I wrote it

You're welcome to use it, Matt - and no need to credit, hon. This one's all yours. You'd have found it in your head (capacious cavern that it is ) eventually.

Thanks for offering, though

W